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Thursday, January 27, 2011

According to Yahoo Style Trends, 2011 has some interesting INs and OUTs.


So, without further ado, here's what is IN and OUT for the coming year:
 
Vampires - OUT
Well there's a relief. I always thought of vampires as nasty things for slaying with wooden stakes, not as eligible bachelors, but that's just me.  The point is, nobody has got it right since the Buffy TV series.  It had everything, vampires, Hellmouth, nerds, librarians and awkward nerdy and charming exchanges.  It seems that the latest Twilight movies and vampire TV shows in their own heavy handed and lacklustre way have elevated vampires to a desirable status.  The point is, vampires aren't really that attractive.  They don't tan (no beach trips), they drink blood (so dinner is right out of the question), they are always at risk of turning you into one of them, and they get a bit messy when they go out for a bite with their friends.





Communal Tables - OUT
Well yippee with maple syrup on it!!  I could never stand communal tables.  It was always a stupid idea.  I remember having to endure my own birthday party sharing a table with a bunch of noisy eating crusties because the restaurant "doesn't take bookings man, everyone shares the tables".

Well bollocks to that.  If I pay to go to a restaurant, I want a table for one, two or a group.  That is, people that I actually want to share a table with.  People I actually know and like.  The idea of eating food next to complete strangers with questionable table manners is my idea of hell.  I'd rather get take away or cook something myself until the restaurants can get it together to work out that people don't actually want to share a massive bench with strangers.  If I wanted that I'd go to a mess hall.




Austerity Weddings (ie. Kate and Will) - IN
I'm not sure I can count this $40 million "do" as "Austere".  Perhaps the article was being ironic?  Maybe it's more austere than $50 million...  

Anyway, if you as a slightly less royal person, want to get married, why pay a ridiculous amount like $30,000?  Can't you think of better things on which to spend your money?

Option 1:
1 big poncy day, lots of toasters and glassware and a highly pressurised (you HAVE to have a perfect time) holiday.  And leftovers bits from the $500 cake.  A large bottomless hole in your savings account or credit card.

Option 2:
A set of Callaway golf clubs, relaxed holiday, simple registry do.  Money in the bank.  Gee, let me think now...




photo courtesy of kelsey_lovefusionphoto


Ballerina Fashion - a'la "Black Swan" - IN
Pulled back hairdos, tu-tus and lots of makeup.  Hmmm.
Little does he know it, but I think there's a weirdo guy in Fitzroy who hangs around Brunswick street that's about to become extremely fashionable.

If this takes off, the whole of Melbourne will be like going out for a ciggy at College of the Arts or the National Theatre.  I hope that distinctive dancer's walk doesn't take off as well, it kind of looks like Charlie Chaplin on Ritalin.  That is, if Charlie Chaplin got rid of his walking stick, was really thin and wore his hair in a bun. 




SaveSaveSave's IN and OUT for 2011:

IN

Ferrets
Carmen Miranda fruit hats
Protective padding for vague people who text and drive or walk across busy streets
Leaves
Skin
No nail polish and short fingernails
Roses
Salt crystal and lava lamps
Queens of the Stone Age
Rock N' Roll in general



OUT


Stamps
Flat pack furniture
Australian/American/whatever Idol
Highlighter pens
Grass
Holidays in Ibiza
Guy Sebastian
Dance Clubs
Auto Correct
LOL, BFF, OMG



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dried oregano
parsley
grated cheddar cheese
salt
pepper
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Monday, January 24, 2011


The recent floods in Queensland and Victoria have devastated homes, businesses and lives.  When the waters subside, the damage will still remain and there is much rebuilding to be done.

One way you can help Queenslanders is to donate to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal. This appeal is for financial donations only.


If you wish to donate goods/clothing, go the givit website.


Another way to help is to offer accommodation to those affected by the floods: oz flood help


You can also volunteer to help with the flood recovery in affected areas in QLD.


If you have been affected by the floods in Queensland, you can use this form to apply for flood relief.


You can help in the Victorian floods by registering as a volunteer to help with the emergency cleanup, donate funds or offer accommodation to those affected in Victoria.

The most important aspect of donating is making sure your donations go to the right place and to the right people. If you are unsure of any charity or organisation, you need to check out scamwatch and be informed about who is legitimate and who is not. 





Sunday, January 16, 2011

I have discovered through experience with my own startup sites that choosing server hosting is much more important than we might think. If you just choose the first hosting plan you come across, it may be cheap now, but it may also cost you in the future. Which begs the question - why do I need a dedicated managed server?  The main reason is that with a dedicated server, you will not have to share bandwidth or server space with other sites.

You may be wondering "How could a managed server help me with my website?"
If you run your own internet business or are looking to start up a store or memebership site, you can take advantage of a dedicated server package to add shopping cart software, databases and the like.  It basically leaves you free to add features as your business grows. If you do not pick this option, your website may be limited in the future as new technologies become available and more space is needed.

A dedicated server plan can keep your online business running constantly, leaving no room for downtime. You do not want to be competing for bandwidth against other websites and losing out on traffic and customers as a result. Another welcome feature is the added security, firewalls, monitoring and backup service that come as part of the dedicated server package. You can also opt for unlimited hosting and never worry about bandwidth or disk space again. If you have questions you can discuss custom requirements to suit your business and get the best advice to ascertain which plan is the right choice for your website.


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